


Sharing Secrets

by flitterflutterfly



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: M/M, Post Season/Series 04, Sentinel/Guide Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-16
Updated: 2013-02-16
Packaged: 2017-11-29 13:04:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/687272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flitterflutterfly/pseuds/flitterflutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim’s been keeping some important things about the Sentinel-Guide relationship secret from Blair. It all comes to a head when Blair comes back to the loft smelling like another man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sharing Secrets

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [Sharing Secrets](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3935803) by [tj825](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tj825/pseuds/tj825)



The day Blair Sandburg came home to the loft smelling like another man, Jim had to force himself not to react violently. They’d been living together for four and a half years now and not once had Blair ever indicated interest in men. But Jim couldn’t deny the scent of stale semen on Blair’s person, masked only slightly by rumpled clothes. He knew what Blair’s own seed smelled like, he’d woken up enough times to the sound of Blair jerking himself off, and that wasn’t Blair’s.

Of course, Jim couldn’t ever convince himself that he minded the smell of Blair’s semen. Then again, he never minded the smell of Blair, no matter how much he would gripe about his sweat-soaked skin or morning breath. His senses rolled over Blair in all states. He noticed only changes to the norm, but he’d never minded any before.

Not 'til now, at least. No, the smell of another man on his partner woke something uniquely primal inside of him and before he could stop himself, Jim growled.

Blair froze at the threshold of their apartment, having just closed the door and taken off his coat. His eyes were wide with fear and guilt as if he knew immediately what Jim had smelled on him.

Jim liked neither of those emotions: fear because he never wanted Blair to be afraid of him and guilt because really Blair had nothing to be guilty about. No matter how much he detested the thought of Blair with another man, his partner was in no way obligated not to be with one. At least, that’s what he tried to tell his irrational jealousy. It wasn’t really working.

Despite popular assumption, Jim was not the usual homophobic cob type. Actually, he was openly bisexual, or as open as it was possible to be in his field. He’d flirted enough with Blair at the beginning, still did a bit if he was being honest with himself, but Blair always seemed to ignore his intentions so he’d committed himself to ensuring a decent friendship. He’d always assumed that, regardless of the openness of Blair’s mind and the uniqueness of his nature, Blair was as straight as they came.

“Jim?” Blair was looking hesitant now and Jim realized he’d been lost in his own thoughts too long. “Did you zone, man?”

“No,” Jim answered immediately to reassure his partner, his Guide. His. Jim had always wondered whether Brackett knew more than he was letting on when he’d assigned that title to Blair the first time they’d met the man. Because to Jim, Blair was more than just a guide. He was the Guide.

But Jim hadn’t told Blair this, hadn’t wanted to let on that he knew more about Sentinels. He hadn’t at first, but Incacha had helped him regain most of his memories and he’d realized just what the significance of the title was. He hadn’t told Blair because he hadn’t wanted Blair to feel obligated to do something he wasn’t comfortable with, like have sex with another guy. Obviously, that was a false assumption.

“Why do you smell like another guy, Sandburg?” Jim asked, holding back his growl last minute.

God help him, but if Blair admitted that he’d just tried it and hadn’t liked it, Jim was sure to die where he stood. If Blair admitted to being bi, well Jim would probably keel over too, or just take the anthropologist in the ass over the back of the couch. Jim really didn’t know which.

Blair’s face had paled dramatically and Jim had to stop himself from reaching out. “I,” Blair croaked. “I’m so sorry, Jim.” Blair buried his face in his hands and took a couple of shuddering breaths. “I forgot to shower,” he said as if to himself.

Shower? Jim stiffened at the implication. Had Blair been having affairs with other men and been deliberately keeping the information from Jim. No, not affairs, Jim reminded himself. He and Blair weren’t dating, weren’t completely bonded. Blair had no obligations to him, he could date whomever he wanted. Jim was having a hard time convincing his inner Sentinel of this fact, but he knew it to be true.

Except, even his rational side didn’t want to be convinced. The only thing that had been stopping the Sentinel from taking his Guide had been his utter conviction of Blair’s heterosexuality. Without that barrier, Jim was having a hard time controlling himself.

“How many?” Jim found himself asking, anger and bitterness coating his tone. “How many of all those dates over the years have been with men?”

Blair was swaying now, looking positively sick. Jim had half the mind to make him sit down, but he was a bit too angry to give in just yet.

“A little less than half,” Blair admitted finally, voice weak as he said it.

Jim took in a sharp breath. So many, an honest parallel to Jim’s own dating habits actually. Though he hadn’t had nearly as many male lovers after meeting Blair. It was too obvious with males how the people he dated could never compare to his Guide, even before he’d know Blair to be his Guide. Even past that, he hadn’t dated anyone since the disaster that was Alex Barnes and the merging of his and Blair's souls.

Jim might not want to believe in the supernatural, but Incacha had taught him too well. He knew how bonded he and Blair now were. The Sentinel roared to make the bonding complete, to finalize their fate. To take his Guide. But Jim would not force such a thing without Blair’s consent and he’d thought before today that Blair would never give it.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jim heard the hurt in his own voice. By the flinch Blair gave, he heard it too.

“I didn’t want you to throw me out,” Blair said quickly as if he thought Jim would actually do so. “I mean, you’re a cop and if the PD knew you were rooming with a bisexual man, well people have lost their jobs for less. There are enough rumors floating around without me adding to them.” Blair was blushing red now, which Jim thought an improvement to pale with fear.

Still… “Sandburg,” Jim groaned. “You think I care?” Well he did care, but not like Blair was obviously thinking. “You think Simon cares? Half of Major Crimes, Vice, and Narcotics have an ongoing bet on when we’re going to finally announce our supposed relationship.”

Blair looked honestly surprised. “You don’t care?” he whispered with wonder and just a bit of hope in his gaze.

And just like that, all of Jim’s anger left. “I’m bi too, Chief.”

“What?” Now Blair looked stunned. “But you’ve never-”

“Yes, I have,” Jim interrupted. “Not too much since I met you, but Rafe and I dated for a bit.”

“Rafe?” Blair practically squeaked. “You. He. What?”

Jim couldn’t help but chuckle at the pure astonishment on Blair’s face. Hell, he never could stay mad at his Guide for long. “It didn’t work out,” Jim assured him.

“Does that mean I’ve been trying so hard to hide my boyfriends for nothing?” Blair looked desperate. Jim could understand. Working so hard at something only to find it didn’t matter, well that was always hard to deal with.

“Blair,” Jim said seriously. “You never have to hide anything from me. I’ll accept you even if you told me you were into bestiality or incest,” Jim paused, unable to think of anything more gag worthy than the thought of Blair and Naomi. But he’d still accept Blair. “I won’t throw you out. This is as much your home as it is mine. The thing with Barnes was a mistake. My mind was messing with me. I really don’t want you to think that I might do it again. It won’t, I promise you.”

Blair blinked slowly as if trying to process it all. “I think that might be the most you’ve ever said at one time.”

Jim’s eyebrow twitched, and then he threw his head back and laughed. “Chief, I love you.” Only Blair could lighten up a conversation like that.

Blair’s smile froze on his face half-formed and Jim realized what he’d admitted. “I do, you know,” Jim said soberly. “You’re my Guide. Our souls are one. If you’d have me, then I’m yours. But I’d never impose that on you.”

There, he’d said it. No more secrets between them. That was how it was supposed to be. Guide and Sentinel shared everything; it was the natural order of things. Jim was kind of surprised it hadn’t exploded in their faces before this point.

“You’ve been keeping things from me,” Blair accused suddenly. “The thing that happened at the fountain, you know what it was.”

“Yeah,” Jim nodded, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. “It was part of the Sentinel-Guide bond. I had one with Incacha, but it broke when I was taken from Peru. That’s why I had so many gaps in my memory.”

“How’d it break?” Blair’s voice was gentle.

“Our bond was never that strong,” Jim shrugged. “Incacha always said that my true Guide, my true Shaman, awaited me. When he died, I remembered, but at that point I was so sure you were straight so I never said anything.”

“Did your sense go offline because of the broken bond?” Blair inquired, slipping into anthropologist mode easily in light of the new information.

“Yep,” Jim nodded. “Traditionally, Sentinels come online when they make contact with their Guide, or a compatible Guide at least. That’s what Incacha told me.”

“So when you came online again at the stakeout…” Blair looked deep in thought.

“I’d probably run across you earlier that week but didn’t notice. Then the high stress, isolated, situation pushed my senses up the rest of the way,” Jim hadn’t really contemplated it, but it seemed likely. “That’s also why I came to your office. I would have never done so if I didn’t have some sort of measure of trust in you because you’re my Guide.”

“Okay,” Blair crossed his arms. “So what do you need to complete the bond? Wait, it’s a sexual component, right? That’s why you haven’t brought it up. You thought I was straight,” Blair now looked upset. “Oh, Jim, if I’d known that was what you needed I would have never hid my bisexuality.”

“Whoa, Chief,” Jim held up his hands. “I don’t want you to do this because of some sense of duty or crap like that. If you want me, then you want me and I just get the small bonus of slightly easier control over my senses. If you just want to be friends, then we stay friends. The spiritual bond we already have has already allowed me to control my senses better, I don’t think I need any more than that to live comfortably.”

“Really?” Blair’s face brightened. “Oh, man, we’ve got to run some tests!”

“Blair,” Jim cut in.

“Oh, right,” Blair deflated. His eyes grew intense with something Jim couldn’t place. “It won’t hurt you if we never complete the bond?”

Yes, Jim wanted to say, it would hurt me. I love you. But he ignored the pang in his heart. “It won’t kill me,” Jim said because that at least was the truth.

Blair smiled and the blue of his eyes became almost blinding. “Then, Jim, you already have my heart. I’m yours just as you’re mine.”

Jim’s mouth went dry. “Blair, if we do this, we can’t reverse it. Our bond is already stronger than the one I had with Incacha. I won’t,” he took a shaky breath, the smell of the cum on Blair flowing into his nose. “I can’t tolerate you dating others,” he said quickly.

“Is that a Sentinel thing?” Blair asked.

“Somewhat,” Jim admitted. “But also a me thing.” He didn’t want to think about how Carolyn had cheated on him. He really didn’t want to contemplate his ex-wife now.

Blair was nodding slowly. “Okay, and ditto, man.” He grinned. “I haven’t been getting much from the others lately anyways. Now I know why. Hey, I wonder if the bond has an affect on the Guides too.”

Jim could see a number of tests in their future. “Okay.”

Blair focused again and he took a hesitant step forward. The Sentinel in Jim jumped in charge at that instance. Reaching forward, Jim grabbed Blair and pulled him against his body, growling low at the smell of the other on his mate.

“You need to shower,” Jim spat. “I can’t stand him on you.”

Blair nodded into Jim’s chest and pulled back.

Just before he reached the bathroom, Blair turned once to glance at Jim. They exchanged a smile that spoke more than either would be comfortable with saying aloud.

You’re my everything, Jim thought. My life is in your hands, my heart in your chest, my soul one with yours.

Blair’s smile softened. Message received, he seemed to say. And returned.

Then the moment was gone, Blair walking into the bathroom and Jim up the stairs.

Jim went up to his loft bedroom as Blair showered. He quickly got out his reserve supply of lube. It was the only brand he could use comfortably because of his heightened sense of touch and smell so he always made sure to have some stocked just in case.

He paused briefly over the condoms, but he knew they couldn’t use them to cement the bond. He only hoped Blair was clean, he knew he was. Then he turned off the overhead light, leaving only a single lamp. Mood lighting, he grinned as he undressed, folding his clothes before setting them in the hamper. Hey, he was a bit of a neat freak, but he couldn’t really help it.

Soon enough, Jim heard the shower turn off. Five minutes later, footsteps on the stairs alerted him to Blair’s nearing presence. The Sentinel seemed satisfied with Blair smelling only of himself. He’d used the natural non-scented soap and shampoo, Jim noticed. All that was left was pure Blair.

Blair reached the top of the stairs and was staring at him with admiration in his gaze. Jim felt his own eyes wander over Blair’s form. A towel covered Blair’s hips and Jim stepped forward, tearing it off with a fever he couldn’t stop.

Beautiful. His Guide was perfect, for him at least.

The Sentinel was rising to the surface and Jim had to let it soon take what it wanted. “I won’t be able to control myself much longer, Chief,” Jim said with a strained voice even as he traced his hands over Blair’s hairy chest. “It might get rough.”

Blair shivered and his pupil’s dilated. “Whatever you need, Jim,” he whispered.

And then the Sentinel was in control, practically tossing his Guide on the bed. “Mine, mine, mine,” the Sentinel growled, hands roaming to imprint the sense of touch fully and completely.

Sight, hearing, smell, those had been done for years. Taste was the last one and the Sentinel slipped his tongue up and down the Guide’s chest, from neck to belly button. He spent longer time concentrating on the nipples, especially the ring on the left one. The metal burned at his tongue, but the Sentinel catalogued it anyways and moved on. Back up, he latched onto the Guide’s mouth, thrusting in with his tongue decisively. The Guide writhed under him, but the Sentinel detected no fear, only lust and the outpour of pheromones.

Done now with the mouth, the Sentinel moved to the last spot he needed. Engulfing the Guide’s cock in one move, the Sentinel began to lick and mouth around the aching member. The Sentinel was content with finishing the imprint before moving onto the final bonding step of taking his Guide, but Jim knew enough that this was the best moment to prepare Blair. So, even as the Sentinel devoted himself to making his Guide come harder than he’d ever come in his life, Jim was grabbing for the bottle of lube.

Blair let out a low moan as Jim stuck the first slick finger into him. “J-Jim!” he cried out, panting.

Jim grinned around Blair’s cock and quickly put in the second finger. Blair was already fairly stretched and Jim and Sentinel both growled inwardly at the thought of another there before them.

Determined to erase all traces of the past lover, Jim, egged on by the Sentinel, made one final slurping pull, swallowing and cataloguing Blair’s semen as it flew down his throat.

The Sentinel hummed in agreement as Jim broke away, taking advantage of Blair’s momentary post-orgasmic bliss as he positioned himself and entered the Guide with one thrust.

“Ugh!” Blair’s eyes flew open and Jim met them clearly. “Jim!” Blair cried out as the Sentinel set a brutal pace.

“Mine,” Jim and Sentinel told him with more than a touch of possessiveness.

“Yours,” Blair and Guide agreed.

And just like that, the bond strengthened to its full power, the almost audible snap as it did so causing Jim to come into Blair far before he was ready. The Sentinel roared and the Guide howled, panther and wolf looking on in contentment as Jim slumped over Blair, their heartbeats synchronizing now and forever.

He’d never be alone again, Jim knew as he pulled out and curled up around Blair. Blair’s eyes drifted closed as he snuggled down into Jim’s embrace.

“I love you too, Jim,” Blair said just before falling asleep.

Jim’s arms tightened almost involuntarily. For the first time since he was a small child, he felt as though he could cry.

“I know,” he whispered, kissing Blair’s head fondly.

It was enough, Jim knew, to last a lifetime.


End file.
